DigiDestiny
by Moonlitangel27
Summary: The seven of them have been through mroe than most; from watching as their village was destroyed to being molested by an evil slave-driver. But when it comes to them to save the world, can they escape their haunting pasts,accomplishing the impossible?
1. It Begins

Moonlitmonk: Yay! =D I'm writing a Fanfiction... WITH PUPPYANGEL27!!! We started talking at my house, and in the car, and other random places, and we came to THIS!!! We're alternating chapters, so we'll try to remember to state who's writing which chapter. This one is, obviously, mine. Anywhoozle, I got a NEW ASSISTANTS!!! The Excel Saga cast! Excel, Hyatt, Ilpalazzo, Menchi, Nabeshin, Watanabe, Iwana, and Sumiyoshi!! Unfortunately, for this chapter, they're out getting coffee. SO, they'll be back on the next chapter I write.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. But, this story is THE PROPERTY OF MLM AND PA27!!! Steal it, and we beat the shit out of you with a bat. Now...on with our Fanfiction.  
  
Ages:  
  
Kouji- 14  
  
Matt- 14  
  
Davis- 14  
  
TK- 13  
  
Ayumi- 13  
  
Orion- 13  
  
Kari-12  
  
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_ "Hurry and burn the houses! Bring all of the survivors to me!" the cold voice ordered sternly, causing the cavalry to storm into the peaceful village. Torches flew into wooden houses, bright flares sparking in them. Screams echoed throughout the now illuminated darkness, cries of pain accompanying the screams. The clang of swords rang loudly, the sounds of death following. Some tried to run, but failed, others just accepted their death, standing there with no intention of running away. A soldier pulled the barn door open, lured by the sounds of sobbing. There he saw a group of children, huddled together, trying to hide from the attack. The soldier did as he was told, grabbing the children with the aid of two other soldiers.  
"These are the only survivors, sir," the soldier stated, throwing the children onto the ground, three of which were girls, four of which were boys. Boris, the king, looked upon them, all seven of them covered in soot and burns. He scoffed.  
"Are these seriously the only survivors?" he snapped, glaring at the soldier, who nodded. Boris used his boot to lift the chin of one of the boys. Blue eyes, filled with hate, stared back at him, blonde hair, covered in charred spots, covering his left eye. Boris scoffed once again.  
"These will have to do," he replied nonchalantly, returning to his carriage. The soldiers packed the children into a cage on wheels, which was pulled by a horse. Inside, the children huddled together on the floor, falling asleep. One of the boys, seemingly the oldest, said to the rest, "It'll be okay. I promise."  
_  
-  
  
"Ayumi, stop daydreaming!! We have work to do!" Orion cried, shaking her friend violently. Ayumi shook her head, straight black locks flapping about. Ayumi joined the two other maids in bustling about, preparing the feast for the King's banquet to be held that night.  
"Sorry, Orion. I got caught up in another daydream..." Ayumi sighed, adding a miscellaneous ingredient to the stew she was currently cooking. Orion shook her head, smiling as she chopped up the dead halibut staring up at her.  
"We all have daydreams," Orion stated, adding the halibut slices to the stew and removing several carrots from the assorted ingredients sprawled out on the table. Ayumi shook her head, silently contradicting Orion's previous statement. Orion stopped dicing the carrot momentarily, raising her left eyebrow.  
"Not as much as I do," Ayumi finished quietly, adding a leek to the mix. Orion stopped to consider this, placing her thumb and pointer finger on her chin. She removed it, raising both eyebrows.  
"You have a point. But, then again, maybe if I knew what you were daydreaming about, then I could help you," she retorted, placing her hands on her hips. Ayumi rolled her eyes, stirring the large pot of stew when Kari intruded.  
"We just want to know what you daydream about! You never tell us, and it gets annoying," she said calmly, pulling the goose out of the fire. Ayumi tossed her hands up, her piercing green eyes filled with annoyance.  
"Fine. I keep remembering the day we got captured, all right? Does that fill in any blanks? Hm?" she fumed, returning to her stirring. Kari and Orion blinked, nodding.  
"I know you hate being a slave here, but it's better than being dead," Kari lied, trying to better the situation in any way possible. No one responded, the other two ignoring the last statement as they returned to their work. Truth be told, death seemed welcoming. Boris and the nobles had proceeded to 'Relieve Stress' when needed on the three girls, all three having found themselves being felt up by Boris himself in the pantry closet more than once.  
"The stew's finished and I've done my job. I'm going to go see what the guys are up to in the stables. Come meet us when you're finished," Ayumi stated in a monotone voice, walking out the door that lead to the courtyard. She knew Kari was lying to make her feel better, but it didn't. She sighed, looking at the stone benches that lined a circular path around the large fountain. She often found herself sitting out here when she needed to think. She sat upon the stone bench to her right, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The fountain made its gentle noise, making it a perfect scene for relaxing and thinking. She stared into the water as it arched in several different directions, splashing into the water around it.  
  
'Nine years,' she thought, 'we've been slaves for nine years.' It was nine years ago that their village had been stormed, and they were the only survivors, brought to Boris's kingdom as slaves. She sighed, standing up. Looking to the sky, she walked on towards the stables where Matt, Kouji, TK, and Davis worked. A delicate breeze blew her hair about, her bangs finally leaving their place in front of her eyes. She arrived at the stables, walking inside to find Davis brushing a black horse, Midnight, carefully.  
"Hi, Davis," Ayumi greeted, smiling softly. Davis spun around, coming face to face with her, his brown eyes meeting her green eyes. Davis smiled stupidly.  
"Hey," he replied, placing his hands behind his head. She went to hug her close friend, but backed away, holding her nose and waving her hand in front of her face. Davis raised his right eyebrow, giving her a questionable look.  
"What?" he asked suspiciously, placing his hands on his hips. Ayumi shook her head, signaling for him to stay where he was. Davis blinked, utterly confused at Ayumi's strange behavior. She finally spoke up.  
"You smell like horse poo," she explained, sounding nasal to do the fact she was still holding her nose. Davis looked at Ayumi exasperatedly, folding his arms across his chest.  
"Oh, and I suppose you'd smell like fresh cut roses when YOU'D been working around horses all day, neh?" he said sardonically, shaking his fist at her. At that moment, Kari bustled in, taking hold of Ayumi's arm. Davis blinked, a confused look on his face once more.  
"Ayumi and I are needed to clean Boris's chamber pot," Kari explained disgustedly, dragging Ayumi out of the stable. Kari and Ayumi entered the kitchen, where Orion was busy working on the sushi for the banquet. They entered a narrow corridor, which lead to the entrance hall, which was filled with other servants decorating the entrance hall for the banquet. They marched up the stairs and to the right, ending up at a large oak door with intricate carvings assorted across it. Kari's tender hands pulled one of the golden doorknobs, twisting it open, allowing herself and Ayumi to enter. In the corner of the room, there was a golden pot, which was, obviously, the chamber pot. Kari walked over, peering inside.  
"Ick!!" she shrieked, retching. Ayumi strode to Kari's side, also looking into the chamber pot. The smell was enough to gag a maggot, but the sight was enough to kill an infant if dropped into the vile pot.  
"Ew... EW!!!" both girls cried in unison, picking up the chamber pot and carrying it over to the window to dump it out. Unfortunately, Boris's unmade bed was directly next to their path. Ayumi lost her footing, which sent her and Kari tumbling to the ground, which in turn spilled feces all over Boris's bed.  
"Crud... We're SO screwed!!" Ayumi was set on automatic panic mode, one wrong slip and she freaked. Quickly, she grabbed Kari's arm and ran, ran as fast as she could back to the stables.  
  
--  
  
MLM: YES, IT'S SHORT. Got a problem with that? -Pulls out remote and presses button- HAHA!!! This will signal Sosuke Sagara to attack flamers with an Armslave!!! HAHAHAH!!! Laughs insanely 


	2. From Inside A Golden Chamber Pot

PA27: HEY!  
  
MLM: HIYA!  
  
PA27: I just said that.  
  
MLM: So?  
  
PA27: --' Nevermind.  
  
MLM: Guess what?!  
  
PA27: Hn?  
  
MLM: This is the second chapter!  
  
PA27: Thank you, Miss Obvious.  
  
MLM: And PA27 is writing it! Now, let's just see how bad she messes up- er, I mean, let's see just now NICE this chapter is........... Scoffs   
  
PA27: I feel so loved......... --'  
  
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Ages:  
  
Matt: 15 years old -------- The oldest Kouji: 15 years old -------- The second oldest Davis: 15years old --------- The third oldest Ayumi: 14 years old ------- The fourth youngest/oldest Orion: 14 years old ------- The third youngest TK: 14 years old -------- The second youngest Kari: 14 years old -------- The youngest  
  
Outfits:  
  
Matt: Green tunic, jeans Kouji: Beige tunic, jeans Davis: Red tunic, jeans Ayumi: Sky blue servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve blue cotton shirt) Orion: Lavender servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve lavender cotton shirt) TK: Orange tunic, jeans Kari: Pink servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve pink cotton shirt) Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
NOTE: All the girls (yes, even Kari) have really long hair; I don't think girls in medieval times cut their hair......... And even if they did, it's our story, so poo! . TK is still Matt's brother, just in case you were wondering. Also, certified professionals have preformed the dangerous stunts (like appearing out of portals in chamber pots). No human or Digimon has been hurt in the making of this chapter. Thank you for your attention.  
  
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"I can't believe it; one day before Christmas and we get stuck out in the cold SNOW to scrub chamber pots. This is absolutely outrageous! I'm freezing," Ayumi muttered as she scrubbed the gold-plated chamber pot with a wire brush. Around her, Matt, Kouji, Davis, TK, Orion, and Kari all grunted in agreement, for they had not been given jackets, cloaks, or anything else that would keep them warm except their usual clothes.  
"We still have to prepare to cook for the festival Boris is going to hold tomorrow. We are going to be so behind schedule. Why does the good-for- nothing 'king' do his own cooking?" Kari sighed at the impossible idea.  
"Why don't you three go cook? We'll finish," TK suggested.  
"THANKS, guys!" the three girls chirped, each hugging TK happily. TK blushed.  
"Uh......... I'll go help them cook........ You won't need me. BYE!" Davis said hurriedly. Matt grabbed Davis by the hair and pulled him back. "No way are you abandoning us. Besides, the last time you tried to cook, you set the pot on fire," Matt said hiding a small smile. The girls giggled. Davis' eyes suddenly widened. "Uh, guys? Is there such a thing as glowing chamber pots?" The seven teens looked toward the seven chamber pots they had been scrubbing in the snow. They all glowed different colors: red, orange, green, blue, lavender, black, and pink.  
"Duck!" Matt suddenly yelled, and they could see why: the chamber pots were shaking violently, looking as if they would blow. They all fell to the ground, covering their heads, but the loud explosion that was expected never came. Instead, the shaking noises fell silent and voices inside the glowing toilets were heard.  
"AH! It looks like we came to Earth at night- boy is it dark! And smelly too......... PU!" It came from the orange chamber pot.  
"Patomon, we're in a toilet!" said the green chamber pot.  
"Let's get out of here!" said the red one. At that moment, animals popped out of each chamber pot as if propelled by an invisible force inside. Matt, Kouji, Davis, TK, Kari, Orion, and Ayumi instinctively stood up and huddled in a group around the girls. The seven flying animals landed before the group all at once.  
"HELLO!" a orange and apricot colored mouse-like animal with wings as ears chirped happily. "I see my digidestined!" Excited "me too's" were heard among the group of strange animals.  
"What are you?" Kouji demanded finally. The animals looked on the verge of laughing at Kouji's question, which was not making Kouji feel any better.  
"We are Digimon, sent to help you save the planet called Earth. You are the digidestined, the seven destined to save the world- or fail," this time a rather dark looking "Digimon" spoke.  
"I think Kouji's question was are you of any harm to us?" Ayumi said bravely, or at least trying to be brave. The Digimon exchanged glances quickly as if silently alarmed.  
"Ayumi, we mean absolutely no harm- we were sent here by the ultimate power of the universe to help. Don't worry, child," a light blue Digimon that had navy markings like a tiger (and looked rather like a tiger on its four paw) said comfortingly.  
"How did you know who I was?" Ayumi choke out, frightened. The Digimon exchanged another alarmed glance.  
"We know who all of you are," the Digimon said finally all together. Orion stepped forward hesitantly. She gulped as she felt all eyes shift to her.  
"W-w-why don't y-you all come into the s-s-stable. It's c-c-cold out here after all," she suggested timidly. The light purple dog-like Digimon smiled broadly at her (A/N: Just think of......... Uh.......... A lavender colored Wolfmon......... o.O)  
"You're my digidestined, Orion! It's nice to meet you!" it said warmly, bounding for Orion who looked petrified. The lavender dog Digimon leapt on Orion, licking her face for all she was worth.  
"Denmon! You're scaring them," the orange one (Patomon, was it?) said. Denmon sheepishly stopped licking her digidestined face and nudged Orion up with her snout.  
"Sorry, Orion," the wolf said, still sheepish. "Let's go inside. Do you have anything to eat? I'm starved!" Denmon then ran off toward the stable, not giving anyone any time to say anything.  
  
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"So, let me get this straight," TK said when they were all in the stable around a fire with a nice bowl of porridge in front of each of them, "you are here to help us save our world from some Digimon and person named Malicioumon and Boris? You can change forms for short periods of time until we grow up- figuratively speaking, of course. How do you know all of this?"  
  
Patomon, who was now identified as TK's Digimon replied, "Digimon are born with knowledge- knowledge of what they are, digidestined Digimon, for example. We aren't all knowing, no, but we know some things." "If this is all true, how are we going to save the world? We can't even escape from slave hood. We have these," Matt gestured to a thick iron choker around his neck under his turtleneck and the necks of his six friends, "and we can't take them off. They are cast iron and Boris, our "master", has dark magic over them. We'll die before we can take them off without his approval." "That's were Wolfmon comes in," Gabumon, Matt's Digimon, smiled knowingly at the puzzled look on the teens' faces. "Apart from being Kouji's Digimon, Wolfmon is a rather accomplished metalworker." Wolfmon just grunted. "Why don't you just tell us who's whose Digimon to save us the terrible trouble of using our brains," Davis said bluntly, yawning. "Davis! He's my digidestined! I'm Veemon!" the bright blue Digimon said happily. "Oh, boy, like Digimon, like digidestined, after all," Patomon said. He flew up in front of TK's face and smiled. "Hi TK!" TK smiled back. "Wolfmon is Kouji's Digimon. Gabumon is Matt's. Veemon is Davis' Digimon, as he kindly informed us. Patomon is TK's Digimon. Denmon, obviously, is Orion's Digimon. Purrmon (the blue tiger) is Ayumi's. And I, Gatomon, am Kari's forever faithful Digimon." At that moment, there was a knock at the stable door. "Guards, open up!" Everyone stood up quickly. "You, Digimon, go and hide!" Orion hissed urgently. The Digimon exchanged a look like before, and in an instant each turned into a different colored spider and scattered. Matt, making sure that all of the Digimon were out of sight, opened the barn door to find two of Boris' guards, standing there in all their brute strength and stupidity. "We need her and her to come with us," the guard on the left said, pointing to Ayumi and Kari. No one in the stable moved for a moment. "Why?" Matt asked between clenched teeth, though he already knew the answer. "Boris' orders." "WAIT!" Orion said quickly as Kari and Ayumi stepped forward. "They still have to......... uh......... drink their tonic! Yes, that's it! Come on, you two. We'll be right back." Orion quickly led Kari and Ayumi into the kitchen that was attached to the stable, where they all slept in the loft. Orion, making sure that the door was shut, turned to Kari and Ayumi. She pulled two pouches out of her apron pocket and handed one to each girl. "It's sleeping powder. It's made from Tillex roots. He won't remember anything. Be careful, though, he might have magical defenses against things like this. Use it wisely." "Thanks," Kari and Ayumi said in unison. The three girls left the kitchen. "Let's go," said one of the guards impatiently. After watching until the four people were out of sight, the five people left stepped back into the stable with an air of despair, closing the door behind them. "What was that about?" Veemon asked, turning back to a bright blue- uh, thingy. "You don't want to know what Boris does to girls like them, believe me," Matt said between clenched teeth. "What I don't understand, though, is why he only took those two and not Orion." Orion frowned. "They emptied the chamber pot in his bed yesterday, they told me. He's probably going to "punish" them," Orion bit her lip. "I hope the sleeping powder works." "But- no! I tried putting sleeping powder in his food before. It didn't work AND I got a whipping," Davis said in horror. "He'll know you gave it to them, he has his ways, you know that. Why did you go and try to save them?" "Well excuse me for trying to save them from being-" Orion stopped herself abruptly. "From being what?" Davis asked, his eyes narrowing. "Insensitive jerk," Orion stormed from the stable in a huff. "What's her problem?" Davis asked, annoyed at the outburst. Veemon looked at Davis for a minute.  
"I'd say she's mad at you," he replied.  
"Well, thank you Mr. Obvious!" "Are they in any danger?" Gatomon asked worriedly. "No," TK said halfheartedly, "he'll just try to make them obey him. He won't kill them- we're his only servants that he doesn't pay. He won't kill them. He's a perverted bastard, though." No one seemed to disagree. "I'll go find her," Matt said, breaking the silence and going after Orion. "Ayumi......... I hope you'll be alright. You too, Kari," Kouji whispered as he watched Matt disappear from view. "I don't know what any of us would do without you two."  
  
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"Calm down," Matt soothed..........soothingly. "You know that they'll be fine. They always are, aren't they? Besides, now we have new hope of escaping this prison." Orion glared at him from in the tree, her thinking spot. What boggled Matt was how she got up there- the branch she was sitting on was at least fifteen feet off the ground, and the ground was covered in white snow.  
"I hate him," Orion growled, leaving back against the ancient trunk of the beautiful weeping willow, watching the small pond.  
"We all hate Boris, Orion," Matt replied, bemused at the thought of someone not hating Boris. At the dark look on his friend's face, however, she wasn't very satisfied with his answer.  
"I wasn't talking about Boris. I was talking about that good-for- nothing goofball, Davis," Orion looked at Matt, judging his face very carefully to see what he thought.  
"Hate Davis? Why?  
"I'll tell you why! If he already doesn't tease, harass, and play pranks on me enough, he has to go and make me feel so stupid. I didn't know, alright. I didn't know that the sleeping powder wouldn't work, I didn't know that Ayumi and Kari would take my advice and actually dump Boris' chamber pot in his bed!" Orion broke her gaze from Matt's face. The silence in the air was deafening.  
"Well......... First tell me how to get up there. I don't like talking to the bottom of a branch," Matt looked around again, hoping to find the answer. Orion just pointed to a bunch of weeping willow stem-leaf thingies, all tied to a branch above him. "And how am I supposed to get that down?" Matt asked impatiently. Orion pointed to a rather long and thin stick. Matt mentally slapped his forehead, DUH. Within thirty seconds, Matt had gotten the clump of stems down and pulled himself onto the same branch as Orion was on.  
"What?" Orion asked bluntly.  
"Orion, you know you're like a little sister to us all, and being a big brother, I've got to side with Davis." Orion made a little "hmph" noise and turned away from him. "But what's this about telling Ayumi and Kari to dump the chamber pot contents in Boris' bed?"  
Orion sighed, "I was being sarcastic. Ayumi was complaining about toilet duty and I sort of sarcastically told her to dump it in his bed." Matt smiled at the tough of Boris getting a butt full of.........  
"Let's get back. I know we're both freezing. It's no use catching a cold, now is it? And you still have to cook Christmas dinner tomorrow," Matt smiled in sympathy as Orion got a look of horror on her face. He marveled at how different she looked from her sister, Ayumi. For one thing, Ayumi had dark brown wavy hair and green eyes. How Orion got straight black hair tinted with dark brown along with brown eyes was a mystery. The thing was, none of the seven friends knew their last names, which was incredibly unusual, considering the fact that they were the only ones in their village who didn't know their own last names. But there was a lot of weird stuff going on so this didn't bother any of the teens, especially not now, when they saw new hope of escaping from the prison of darkness to set out on a epic and legendary quest.  
  
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"Digimon," Patomon explained as Matt and Orion walked in the room, "have a connection to their Digidestined. If Digimon is hurt, Digidestined will know. If Digidestined is hurt, Digimon will know. And since we, Digimon and Digidestined, share the same soul, if the human dies, the Digimon dies as well."  
TK and Davis both stood up abruptly, both demanding, "Kari is hurt?" They gave each other a death glare.  
"It seems so, doesn't it? I knew we should've had them merge," Gatomon bit her lip, worried. "Merging means that Digimon and Digidestined become one," Gatomon quickly explained.  
"We can become one?" Kouji asked his brow furrowed. The Digimon all simultaneously nodded.  
"Both of us are still there. We can take on any appearance we choose, the form of the Digimon or the form of the human. The human has the final say in what form is taken and if the two stay merged and for how long. In fact, the form taken it can be anything in between Digimon and human. It also means that we share powers when we are merged, though it takes a lot out of both the human and Digimon to use powers because......... well, just because. But when we merge, new powers can be discovered. It's also a good hiding place," Gabumon said the last sentence sheepishly.  
"Then why didn't you guys just merge with us when we told you to hide?" Davis asked suspiciously.  
"Well, you didn't ask," Veemon replied sheepishly, "otherwise, we would have."  
Gatomon let off a soft groan. "Veemon, your jokes are older than you are."  
"I can't take this anymore! I'm going to beat the crap out of that so- called king!" Kouji hissed angrily, trying to storm out of the stable. Matt, TK, and Davis all tried to hold him back. "Let me go!" Kouji said, punching poor Davis in the nose. Davis doubled over, holding his nose while Kouji's eyes widened, as if suddenly realizing what he did. "Davis......... Are you all right?"  
"I'll go get some herbs to stop the bleeding. I'll get some stuff for Kari and Ayumi, for when they get back," Orion said quickly before disappearing into the kitchen.  
"I'm- I'm sorry," Kouji said awkwardly as Davis, his nose bleeding an immense amount, sat down on a log around the fire in the stable. He forced a smile.  
"Kouji, stay calm. You know they be fine, don't go looking for trouble," TK said reasonably. No one said anything for a while and the only noise that was heard was the occasional grunting of a horse.  
Orion hustled quickly into the room, arms full of dried plants. "Davis, take this purple Justina flower," Orion handed Davis a quite nasty looking (and smelling) flower, "and stuff it in your nose- it'll stop the bleeding." Davis balked as he put the plant in his nose. "Lay down, Davis," Orion ordered. Davis grunted grudgingly but lay down on the floor which (being a barn/stable thingy) was covered in straw.  
"How long does this plant have to stay?" Davis whined. Orion smirked.  
"I could've given you crushed Brinna stems which smell and look much better, but I'm still mad at you." Davis smiled good-naturedly at his friend who gave a little giggle. "Anyway, Gatomon, Purrmon, here," she handed the two Digimon each a green leaf, "put it in your mouth- it should numb the pain somewhat." Gatomon shook her head.  
"It won't help. Though we know when the other feels pain, we cannot stop it. We don't taste the same things. Not all of our feelings are the same. I cannot feel Ayumi's pain, I can only know it is there," Purrmon said softly, pushing the green leaf back at Orion.  
"Why don't you merge with them?" Gabumon said suddenly. With a flash of light and a slight nod from Gatomon and Purrmon (A/N: Okay, I forgot to tell you what Purrmon looks like- just think of Gatomon, only blue with navy strips and without the yellow gloves- white gloves!), they disappeared.  
"I think," Wolfmon, who had been silent for a while, said, "that we should all merge right now, just in case someone comes and sees us." A nod of agreement swept through the Digimon in the room and, without any consent or refusal from the humans in the room, the Digimon all disappeared in a different flash of light- but they were still there. Matt, TK, Kouji, Davis, and Orion knew their Digimon was their- they could feel it in them.  
"I feel......... Weird........." Davis said. "Stronger. And smarter." Orion gave him a skeptical look. "Okay, maybe not that much smarter," Davis said sheepishly.  
"I have to go cook for the festival tomorrow," Orion suddenly said, rushing, again, into the kitchen.  
"We are sure lucky her mom was a healer- and that she bothered to learn anything," Matt said smiling. The rest of the boys in the room eyed him suspiciously. "What?!"  
"Nothing," Davis amended said laying back down, though still looking at Matt in a peculiar manner. "I think we should be planning our escape. We have to figure out HOW IN THE WORLD WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE THE WORLD!"  
When TK spoke, it was Patomon's voice that left his mouth, "You have to journey from here, England, to Japan to a shrine deep in the mountains. It is in the Hiragazwa Mountains, three days north of the first mountain at the south. There you will find a stone- the stone of Pariah (A/n: Okay, I know I stink at this writing. For those of you who know what pariah means, I KNOW IT MEANS SOCIAL OUTCAST. So, the stone of social outcasts? O.O). The first and most purest group to touch the stone will be granted the ultimate power of the universe, allowing the world to be however the group pleases- peaceful or destructive. But we also know that Boris and Malicioumon, a Digimon that has a heart of evil, is after it too. We're not sure, however, if Malicioumon has figured out how to come to the human world yet, but we should set out soon."  
"We have to travel from England to JAPAN?!" Matt demanded, his face going pale. The kitchen window that was connected to the stable had opened while Patomon was talking, so Orion had heard the entire explanation.  
"That's more than a thousand miles. That's more than two thousand miles! In fact, I THINK IT'S MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND MILES OF HARD, Rocky terrain! And think of the language gaps! None of us knows Japanese!" Orion shouted from the kitchen.  
Gabumon's voice spoke from Matt, "Yes you do. You know all the languages of the world. We have given you that knowledge. And as for the distance, there is a portal in the Green Forest of England. It transports you to a small island in Japan. From there, it is less than fifteen miles to the mountains."  
"Let's get planning, then," Kouji said decisively. "We should give everyone a map just in case we're separated. How far is this portal in England?"  
"Three miles from here," Wolfmon's voice answered from Kouji's mouth.  
  
"Okay. I think we should divide this journey into a month with three checkpoints. The first checkpoint is the portal, in case we get separated. We'll all make sure we're there in two days of the day we leave," Kouji mumbled, copying all he was saying onto a old piece of parchment, "Lets make New Year's Eve the night that we leave. Boris will hold a festival and everyone will be busy. We'll need money- but that's not a problem- we know where Boris keeps his key to his treasury. The second checkpoint will be Hiragazwa mountain- the first mountain from the south. We'll leave there on- how about the twentieth? The third checkpoint is going to have to be- it'll be the shrine. We'll have to all meet at the shrine on the thirtieth of January. The next day, we'll get the stone. If one of us gets left behind- do we move on at the checkpoints or do we wait?"  
"We should move on. We don't know if Malicoumon and come to earth. We can't afford to lose," Denmon said through Orion's mouth, "This is very urgent, you have to understand. The fate of the world lies in your hands." Kouji nodded as he copied the things he had written onto bits of parchment that they had foraged, making sure there was one for each person.  
"Then it's decided. We'll leave on the thirty-first of December to meet our fate," Matt, who hadn't spoken much, said, closing the matter.  
  
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The stable door opened with a bang, and the five teens that had been carefully discussing the details of the trip, whipped around quickly, quickly enough to see Ayumi and Kari tossed into the barn rudely, their hair and clothes mussed, both sniffling and sobbing softly. The two guards from before reappeared at the door as Matt, TK, Kouji, Orion, and Davis all rushed to help the two girls.  
"We need the one who gave them the sleeping powder- Orion. Boris has a special gift for you," one of the guards smirked at Orion's widened eyes. She stood transfixed at the spot. "Well? Come on! We don't have all day." Reluctantly, Orion followed the two guards out.  
"Are you alright, Kari?" TK and Davis said together. They glared at each other again. Kari suddenly threw herself at TK, sobbing her heart out onto his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly.  
"Ayumi?" Kouji asked tentatively. "Are you alright?" Ayumi nodded slowly, very slowly, and lay her head down on the ground, rolling into a tight ball.  
"Come on, you two. Why don't you go take a hot shower or something- it'll make you feel better, I promise," Matt said softly helping both girls up. Still sniffling slightly, they made their way to the kitchen. Matt turned toward the door and walked out, saying nothing but, "I'm going out for a walk." He looked toward the castle, seeing Orion and the two guards entering the large stone entrance.  
He clenched his fists and whispered, "I promise you guys, TK, Orion, Kari, Ayumi, Kouji, Davis, that we'll get out of here alive. We'll be away from him forever. I promise."  
  
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PA27: Well, there's chapter two, written by yours truly......... Now, we need you to do something.........  
  
MLM: Swallow a CHICKEN!  
  
PA27: Uh......... Right.......... REVIEW and vote- Well, you see, MLM and I have had a little disagreement-  
  
MLM: Meaning that we've been at each other's throats!  
  
PA27: -on whether to pair Orion up......... I say no, she says yes.  
  
MLM: Vote and tell us what you think!  
  
PA27: P.S. VOTE FOR ME!!!  
  
MLM: You know they'll vote for me, PA27.........  
  
PA27: Will not!  
  
MLM: Will too!  
  
PA27: --' Will NOT! NOT!  
  
MLM: Will too!  
  
Random peasant: This is going to take a while to settle......... BUT YOU CAN HELP! REVIEW! 


	3. Christmas

PA27: AH, I'm back!  
  
MLM: Er......... How lucky of us.........  
  
PA27: We all know that this is supposed to be MLM's chapter, but I'm writing it. Why?  
  
MLM: Because you're a bossy perfectionist, and wouldn't let e write this chapter?  
  
PA27: --' Okay, that's one way to put it.........I was going to tell them that I was bored and that you were too lazy to write it.  
  
MLM: Which is a total and complete lie.  
  
PA27: Well, the 'I'm bored' part is true.........  
  
MLM: PA27........ Just get on with the chapter.  
  
PA27: Fine, but first-  
  
MLM: First what?  
  
PA27: KARAOKE!  
  
MLM: o.O NO!!!!!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx Ages:  
  
Matt: 15 years old (The oldest) Kouji: 15 years old (The second oldest) Davis: 15years old (The third oldest) Ayumi: 14 years old (The fourth youngest/oldest) Orion: 14 years old (The third youngest) TK: 14 years old (The second youngest) Kari: 14 years old (The youngest)  
  
Outfits:  
  
Matt: Green tunic, jeans Kouji: Beige tunic, jeans Davis: Red tunic, jeans Ayumi: Sky blue servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve blue cotton shirt) Orion: Lavender servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve lavender cotton shirt) TK: Orange tunic, jeans Kari: Pink servants' wear (cotton dress, ¾ inch sleeve pink cotton shirt) Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
"AYUMI! You're doing it, AGAIN! If you don't watch it, the biscuits will burn!" Kari's voice snapped Ayumi out of her reverie. Ayumi sighed and looked inside the dirt oven to check on her biscuits.  
"Sorry. I was just thinking about Orion. She's been gone an awfully long time," Ayumi said as she closed the oven again. "She still has to cook dessert for tomorrow. I hope she lets us sample some of those cakes......... Remember last time we asked her to create something new and exciting, and she made 'Onion and Strawberry Cupcakes'? To tell you the truth they weren't half bad......... Okay, maybe they were HALF bad, but they weren't poisonous, like the time Davis threw up after her 'Sushi Brownies.' I don't think she has put raw fish and chocolate together since then........."  
Kari looked at her friend over the punch she was making. "What wrong?" she asked Ayumi.  
"Nothing," Ayumi lied, looking into the dirt oven again so she wouldn't have to look at Kari; she never was too good at lying. Deciding that they were ready, she brought them out, golden, hot, and smelling perfect.  
"Ayumi, you babble when something's wrong," Kari said, still looking at Ayumi while adding a whole bunch of wine to the mix, wine that the girls had been reluctant to add, but Boris had insisted upon. Ayumi sighed again.  
"Look, I'm just worried about this whole 'save the world before dinner' thing, okay? Sure, this place is worse than death, but at least we have a roof over our heads, and a fire to keep from freezing in the winter. Our there........." Ayumi put the biscuits she had made into the basket. "Look, I'm going out. I've already made fifteen dozen biscuits. That should be enough. I'll be in the stables, helping the guys groom the horses." Without waiting for Kari's reply, she turned and walked out of the kitchen. Instead of turning into the stables, however, she turned right. After a few minutes of climbing over mounds of snow and bushes that had built up in the forest, she hung back to admire her fountain, surrounded by the bare trees of the forest. She wrapped her rough wool shawl, the one Orion and Kari had given her for her birthday, tighter against her small frame. The water had frozen up into icicles that followed the water's usual path and dripped down the sides, making it look almost scary- but it wasn't, because the fountain, which was located in the far side of the forest that was behind the stable, was built conveniently built on a cliff with a steep drop. The sun was starting to get close to the horizon, even though it was not past three o'clock. Then Ayumi noticed someone, sitting on one of the four stone benches that surrounded each side of the fountain. Slowly, she approached him. "Davis?" Ayumi asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Davis turned and motioned for Ayumi to sit next to him, which she did. "You know about this place?" she asked once she was settled. Davis nodded, looking at the frozen fountain, "Just because you never see me here, doesn't mean I don't know about it. In fact, I think Kouji come here too, sometimes. It's such a nice place, though. Great for thinking." Ayumi bit her lip, holding back a question that she knew was too nosey, but was biting at the back of her mind. Davis, sensing this, looked at her curiously.  
"If you want to know something, ask. We're friends, right?" Davis asked. Ayumi nodded slowly.  
"Davis, what do you come here to think about?" Ayumi asked, though she knew the answer. Davis smiled almost bitterly, very Un-Davis like.  
"You know, Ayumi. I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that.........." Davis stopped suddenly, losing track of what he was saying. Ayumi couldn't help but giggle.  
"Kari," Ayumi said, serious once again. Davis looked back at the fountain again. Ayumi half-suspected that it was because he couldn't meet her eyes. "Does it hurt?  
  
Ayumi asked. Davis gave her a curious look.  
"Does what hurt?" Davis asked, once again looking away from Ayumi. He wouldn't look at her. He would, he wouldn't, HE WOULD NOT.  
"Kari and- you know, TK. I mean, she's so- so friendly. And so is he. I know you like her a lot, don't you?" Ayumi put her hand on Davis'.  
"I don't know. I think I've gotten used to it. Ever since we've been I diapers, the seven of us, I've like Kari. And so has TK. I know when I've lost. I've been telling myself to move on, but I can't find someone else. There ISN'T anyone else to like. I don't have a chance with anyone," Davis said, still not meeting Ayumi's eyes.  
"What do you mean, NO CHANCE? You're a great guy. You're a great person. Come on, Davis, be optimistic," Ayumi said as cheerfully as she dared, for, the usually light and casual Davis was looking more mournful that ever.  
He gave another bitter laugh. "Who is there, then? Not Kari, I know that. Orion- well, I couldn't stand another one of her cooking inventions. Besides, Matt has dibs on her. She's too-"Davis struggled for the right word.  
"Perfectionistic?" Ayumi offered. Davis nodded.  
"Yeah, perfectionistic. She's too perfectionistic for me. That leaves you. First of all, you're my friend, and I don't want to lose that. Second, you like Kouji." Davis smirked as he saw Ayumi go red up to the roots of her black hair.  
"Is it that obvious?" Ayumi asked shyly. There was a sudden rustle near the bushes, even though the winter winds had died down. Ayumi looked toward the movement; it was now HER turn to avoid Davis' eyes. Davis shook his head.  
"I was completely clueless until Orion told me she suspected. Besides, I wouldn't dare move in on Kouji's territory. He'd kill me. He likes you, I think," Davis said. Ayumi stole a quick glance at Davis.  
"Has he- has he said anything?" she asked in a near-whisper. Davis shook his head again.  
"Just a little something I suspect, the way he always looks after you," Davis shrugged. "Anyway, that leaves no one."  
"Don't worry. Like I said, you're a great guy. Let's get back. I hope Orion comes back soon," Ayumi said. Davis stood up and bowed stupidly low, offering his hand to Ayumi in a friendly but funny way. Ayumi took his hand and couldn't help but smile at his goofy-ness. She thanked god for such a great friend. Slowly, joking and climbing over the mounds of snow once again, they made their way back toward the stable.  
After their voices had faded, a dark figure stepped out from behind the trees. He picked up the shawl that Ayumi had left on the bench and put it against his face, smelling Ayumi's scent of cherry blossoms against him. He smiled into the embroidered sky blue colored shawl. The fabric was embroidered with Kari and Orion's small stitches- cherry blossoms and sparrows, free as Ayumi's spirit. If someone had been there, they would have sworn they heard him say her name, but then again, it could have been tricks of the wind played again he turned to leave, carrying the shawl with him, still smiling slightly.  
  
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Kari looked at Ayumi as she entered the kitchen again. "Good," Kari said, "you're here. I found the second part of the list that you lost. For some reason, it was in the sugar, but I won't ask why," Kari gave Ayumi a meaningful look, "because I don't want to know why. We still have a lot to do before tomorrow; the second part of the list I longer than the first one. I've finished the 20 bowls of fruit salad, but I've just only started on tuna the 15 tuna casseroles. We'll have to wait for Orion to cook the desserts, but you could always make egg rolls and fried dumplings. I've heard that there will be more people this year than last- 270 people, if I'm not mistaken. You had better make more of those biscuits, too." Ayumi sighed and fetched the ingredients for the egg rolls and dumplings.  
"We are so behind schedule," Ayumi complained. "We'll be up all night, if we don't hurry." Kari nodded.  
"I know. We'll already be up until midnights just to make sure the tuna casseroles are done and ready. Do you realize that we've been cooking for this for five days? I think Boris is making us serve food, too. I just can't wait to see the slutty outfits he makes us wear," Kari said sarcastically. Suddenly, they heard the stable door roughly opened. Abandoning their cooking, they rushed into the stables in a hurry, just in time to see Orion thrown in as they had been about six hours ago. They rush to her, checking for injuries.  
"Don't forget these, said the guards before leaving, throwing three different colored outfits at them. "It's what you'll serve dinner at the festival in tomorrow." With that, he left.  
"Are you alright?" Kari asked Orion, who had not moved at all since being tossed in. She nodded, eyes still closed, breathing raspy. "Sure?" Kari asked again. She nodded again.  
"Hey, aren't you the one always telling us to cheer up? Well, cheer up!" Ayumi said as optimistically as she could manage, slapping Orion heartily on the shoulder. Instantly, Orion flinched, her eyes popping opened, sitting up abruptly.  
"That shouldn't have hurt. What did he do to you?" TK asked worriedly. Orion shook her head stubbornly, moving herself against the wall. Ayumi and Kari grabbed hold of both her wrists, half dragging, half carrying her to the kitchen where she could take a shower (AN: Remember, there was no running water back then. They had to take showers by: A) pouring warm water over themselves in a bucket, not having to worry about getting the floor wet because it was usually made out of concrete or stone or B) Putting warm water into a large bucket or tub. The fountain works because-well, you'll find out later. I'm not telling you now or it'll spoil it!).  
"What did he do to you?" Ayumi asked gently. Orion threw her arm around her friend, sobbing silently. Kari looked at Orion in sympathy. Just as suddenly as she started, Orion stopped and let go of Ayumi, her eyes wide.  
"He suspects," she said, the expression in her eyes pure fright. Ayumi and Kari exchanged glanced.  
"Calm down. He suspects what?" Kari asked in the voice that kindergarten teachers use when dealing with a student who is a bit slow.  
"He suspects that we're going to escape. I think he has his Digimon," Orion said in a near-squeak. Kari and Ayumi both looked incredibly alarmed.  
"First, take a shower, and then tell us what happened," Ayumi said soothingly. Then she frowned, "Is our shoulder bleeding?" Orion looked at her shoulder where Ayumi had slapped her earlier. Orion shrugged slightly.  
"Doesn't matter," she replied. "It's not worse than we got last time." Ayumi and Kari both winced at the memory of Boris and his advisors 'relieving stress.' Nothing was worse than Boris and his corrupt cabinet after a stressful day. Nothing- or, at least, that was what they thought. Then again, the worse was coming.  
  
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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE SUSPECTS?" Kouji demanded as Orion finished talking. She winced slightly at his cutting voice.  
"I mean, he said, and I quote, 'I know your plans.' What other plans do we have? Have tea with a rock?" Orion asked, annoyance clear on her face.  
"You know, he could have just been scaring you. It could be possible that he has no idea, and he was just trying to frighten you," TK said reasonably. Orion nodded thoughtfully.  
"Maybe. But, somehow, I don't think so," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I don't know, I could be wrong. But there was something........." She trailed off, deep in thought. Suddenly Kari gasped.  
"Oh my gosh. I forgot about the tuna casserole. It should be ready be now," Kari said, quickly rushing off. Orion looked confused.  
"What tuna casserole?" she asked. "Did she find the second part of the list?" Ayumi nodded sheepishly.  
"Yeah......... It was in the sugar. I guess I left it there on one of my sugar-eating days. Anyway, we have to get cooking, or we'll never finish. Come on, sis," Ayumi said as the two of them disappeared into the kitchen.  
"Do you think he knows?" Matt asked breaking the silence after Orion and Ayumi disappeared. No one answered for a minute, apparently all deep in thought.  
Kouji was the first to answer, "It could be possible. I mean, he knows almost everything we do against him, and them he punishes us. It could be possible."  
"I think Orion might just be paranoid," Davis put in nonchalantly. No one said anything for a minute. Usually, it was Matt's job, as the oldest, to be paranoid, but everyone knew of Orion's tendency of being overly careful, always shaking out everyone's blankets in the loft before going to sleep so no one "slept on a cockroach." In the middle of winter, however, cockroaches were very unlikely in the extremely cold loft where the seven beds were.  
"I don't know. I believe her," TK said thoughtfully. "Orion usually doesn't lie, and it's all too likely someone was eavesdropping when we made our plans." No one saw Matt's look of appreciation towards his brother, and if they did, they didn't say anything about it.  
Davis shrugged and yawned, "I'm hitting the sack. Tomorrow's Christmas, and I can't wait to get presents!" He climbed lazily up the ladder that led to the loft.  
"I think I'm going to sleep, too," Matt said as he, too, made his way up the ladder for a good nights' sleep. "We'll have a long day tomorrow, that's for sure." Kouji and TK sat in a comfortable silent for a while, both gazing into the fire.  
TK broke the silence, "Kouji?" Kouji raised his eyebrow. Without waiting for Kouji's reply, TK plunged on. "It's about Kari. I don't know- I sort of like her, but she's like a sister to me. Then there's Davis........." Kouji's eyes glinted knowingly.  
"You want to be a good friend to him, but he's also your rival, right?" Kouji looked at TK for a minute, studying him carefully. "You know, if you like her, go for it. Sometimes friends have to be rivals too- but if they're really your friends, it won't matter, now will it? Besides, the seven of us have been through so much that I don't think a little teenage rivalry over a girl will separate you," Kouji smiled a rare smile. TK nodded, still staring into the fire.  
Finally, he said, "We should go and help them cook. After all, they'll need all the help they can get, or they won't be done until sunup. Besides, we haven't been helpful at all with this festival." Kouji nodded in agreement and they headed off toward the kitchen.  
  
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"You two want to help?!" the three girls asked simultaneously, exchanging looks of alarm. Kouji and TK nodded innocently.  
"Okay, that was funny. Haha. Now, what do you really want?" Ayumi asked, looking up from her egg rolls. TK frowned.  
"We're serious," Kouji said with an edge on his voice. Again, the three girls exchanged glances. Orion cleared her throat, a small smile appeared on her face.  
"Look, guys, that's very sweet of you, but we don't want to keep you up. Why don't you two just go to sleep?" Orion suggested, going back folding dumplings. "Or you could brush the horses again."  
"We're helping and that's that," Kouji said stubbornly, daring anyone to defy him. TK nodded. The girls shrugged in defeat.  
"Er......... Well, I'm making dumplings. Nothing you can help with here!" Orion said quickly, pretending to be busy. Kari caught on quickly.  
"And there's nothing to do here. I'm just making mashed potatoes," Kari lied, even though they could've helped with the gravy she hadn't even started. Ayumi, who was stirring her cake batter and humming to herself looked up to see Kouji and TK both looking at her. She opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it again.  
"Fine," she finally shrugged, glaring at Kari and Orion who both grinned apologetically in a hey-we're-sorry-but-at-least-WE'LL- finish- before-dawn look, "Fine. You can.........Er- You can........." Ayumi looked around helplessly for something to do. Finally, she put down her cake batter and opened a cupboard to get a cookbook. After blowing the thick layer of dust off of it, she handed it to Kouji. "We have to make twenty chocolate cakes. I've made the first eight. You can help make some of those. It's on page 26."  
"Okay!" TK said excitedly. Ayumi looked at Matt and TK for one more second before turning to finish the cake she had started. She made sure that her back was to them before mumbling a prayer.  
"Dear God, please don't let them wreck the cookbook or set anything on fire. Help them make the cakes edible, or at least non-poisonous. Or have them get tired so I can finish the rest in peace. Thanks," Ayumi mumbled under her breath.  
Meanwhile, Kouji and TK were reading the instructions. "One pound of butter? How do you measure butter? And what does it mean, one hundred strokes to mix it? How much is a pinch?" TK shot question at Kouji who found them very confusing.  
"Let's at least find the mixing bowl first. Er, TK? Do you have any idea what a mixing bowl is? And where are they?"  
  
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"Well, I'm finished with what I had to do," Orion announced at ten 'til midnight. She yawned, "I'm hitting the sack. 'Night." She stopped for a minute to give Ayumi a sympathetic look before leaving. Ayumi winced as she looked at Matt and TK. Not only was her cookbook on fire, but the cake they two boys had started working on four hours ago looked terrible.  
Sighing, Ayumi poured a bucket of water over her still smoking cookbook. She looked at the cake for a moment and sighed again, wincing. "Um, thanks Kouji, TK, I'll take it from here," she said taking deep breaths, trying not to do something she would regret later (like shoving the two off a bridge).  
"Well, that's it for me," Kari said quickly, "I'm going to take Orion's lead and hit the sack. Good luck, Ayumi." Ayumi took another deep breath wincing at the fact that she had eight cakes left to go, not counting the thing that Kouji and TK made.  
TK cleared his throat, "Um, I think I've done enough. I'm going to go now. Sorry about the cookbook, Ayumi!" He said quickly before following Kari out. Ayumi muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'no problem, I just enjoy having to stay up until morning to bake something I don't even like to eat.'  
"Kari!" TK called after her. She stopped and turned. Seeing him, she smiled.  
"What is it, TK?" she smiled as TK neared her, and felt her stomach squirm in delight. He smiled mysteriously and took her arm, pulling her toward the frozen lake.  
"I have to show you something," was all he said before breaking out into a run. Kari struggled to keep up, rubbing her arms to keep warm. After running until she could run no more, TK stopped. They had entered the forest. It was a part that Kari had never been before. They stood in front of a cave, a quite dark one at that. TK reached into his pocket and retrieved a match and a tiny bit of candle, no bigger than a brownie (AN: What? Okay, I know I'm comparing candles to brownies, but I'm hungry and I want chocolate!). He lit the candle and took Kari's hand again. Slowly, they made their way into the cave.  
"Is this safe? What if there are bears?" Kari asked in a hushed whisper. TK shook his head. There was a sudden whoosh sound. Kari jumped and she moved closer to TK.  
"It's just the wind," he said soothingly. Together, they ventured deeper into the cave. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but really a little more than fifteen minutes, TK pulled them to a stop and pointed. Kari's eyes widened and she broke into a smile.  
"They're so cute!" she said happily at the sight; there were four baby bunnies in all and a mother. All of them were black and white, and all of their noses wiggling, sniffing. "How did you know about this place?" Kari asked TK. He smiled.  
"I explore. I found this cave months ago. Yesterday, I came here and found these rabbits. I though you might like them," TK said softly, smiling. Kari felt her stomach give another squirm. Kari took a step closer to the rabbits, kneeling near the nest they had built. She reached out to touch one of the bunnies. "Careful," TK warned, "they could scratch you if you're not-" He cut himself off as Kari stroke one of the babies, and the mother didn't even try to stop her. He looked at her, confused. "She scratched me when I touched them," he said in wonder. He kneeled next to her and she noticed a scratch running up his arm.  
"Does it hurt?" she asked, taking his hand in hers. He blushed and shrugged. She smiled shyly and pressed her lips to the wound. TK's eyes widened. Kari let go of his hand and looked away.  
"I don't think I'm ever going to wash my hand again," he said looking at the spot were her lips touched his skin. He reached his hand out to cup her chin, bringing her face back toward him. "You're beautiful, you know that, right?" he asked distractedly. Kari's eyes widened, but didn't pull away. She felt a dream sensation as TK's back came closer and closer to hers. She felt his lips on her own, and there was a tingly feeling up and down her back.  
Slowly TK pulled away, still looked at her, searching her eyes for something, anything; something to reassure him or something to reject him. Kari smiled softly, touching her lips. She shyly looked at TK and then looked away with the same shy smile. "There's nothing like a first kiss, is there?" Kari said gently. (A/N: Can anyone tell me where I got that from? 'There's nothing like a first kiss.' I'll give you a clue- tomorrow I'll forget. No, I mean that's your clue. 'Tomorrow I'll forget.')  
TK smiled as well, "Same here. What to go for a second?"  
  
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"I really don't need any more of your help," Ayumi insisted. "I can do the last eight cakes by myself, I'm positive, Kouji, you go to sleep." Kouji frowned.  
"No, I want to help," he insisted. Orion, who was stirring a bowlful of batter outrageously fast didn't say anything. "I really want to help."  
"Well, you don't know how," Ayumi, who was beyond frustrated, snapped finally. "I won't let you help." Kouji's eyes flickered for a moment. He grabbed her wrist and her against him, with her looking fearful and startled into his eyes.  
"Teach me, then," he said in a harsh whisper. "And never ever tell me you won't let me do something. What I do is none of your business." Ayumi looked at him for a moment like a cornered animal before pulling away forcefully, looking at the dirt oven with her back turned toward him. Uncomfortable silence dominated for a few minutes, and Kouji almost regretted doing what he did.  
Taking a deep breath and holding back tears, she finally said, in an unusually high voice, "You measure butter with a special tool. One hundred strokes mean you stir it one hundred times to mix it. One pinch is a tiny bit; you estimate. Mixing bowls are in the second cupboard to the left from the door. The difference between a mixing bowl and a normal bowl is that mixing bowls are bigger and specially used for mixing. I'll show you how to make chocolate cake." She heard Kouji turn to get a bowl, and took the time to wipe away a tear. How could she be so stupid as to think Kouji saw her as anything more than a sister? She put on her best fake smile and turned to get the eggs.  
  
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"Christmas day!" Davis was the first up, waking all the others up in the process. There were groans coming from the other bed, not wanting to wake up so early. Davis nearly jumped out of his pajamas and into his normal clothes, yelling "Wake up, wake up," over and over again.  
"Let me get some sleep!" Ayumi said, tossing a pillow in Davis' direction. It hit him square in the face. With a mysterious smile, he picked up the pillow and stalked toward Ayumi's bed. Ayumi seeing this, sat up immediately. Davis threw the pillow at her, only she ducked and it hit Kouji, who grabbed it and threw it at Davis who ducked so it hit TK who threw it at Kari who threw it at Orion who threw it back at Matt who threw it at Kouji who threw it out the window.  
"Aw, Kouji, stop being such a spoilsport," Davis said. Kouji looked at him grumpily and pulled the covers back over his head. Orion and Kari exchanged a mischievous grin.  
"So, when did you two get to sleep?" Orion asked suggestively. Ayumi, who had just finished making her bed and getting dressed didn't even stop to blink.  
"A little before dawn," she answered shortly. Before going downstairs, though, she fumbled with something under her bed, pulling out seven packages, each neatly wrapped in a cloth of a different color, tied with a ribbon. She put one on the bed of each person, not saying anything except, "Merry Christmas," before going downstairs.  
"What's her problem," Matt asked grumpily, finally getting out of bed. Orion suddenly brightened. She, too, fumbled under her bed before pulling out packages, distributing them. Kari, then Kouji, then TK, then Matt followed her, and then, after inspecting each of his presents, Davis gave out his. By then, Ayumi was back, seven servings of breakfast in a tray. Davis, however, was too busy to eat his breakfast, for he was itching to open his gift.  
"I think we should let Davis see what he got, or he might explode," Kari said jokingly. "And I don't think I can stand the suspense much longer either." So, with that, they opened their gift, one at a time.  
Davis had given everyone a wooden comb, each bearing the receiver's name. "Hey, Davis, I didn't know you could carve," Orion said, feeling the wood of her comb with her fingers. Davis laughed sheepishly before opening more presents.  
Kari had given everyone a leather pouch-like backpack. It was about half the size of a pillow, and very useful. "Where'd you get the leather for the bags?" Davis had asked. Kari smiled.  
"Where do you think beef comes from?" Kari answered. Davis instantly grew pale, his eyes wide, as if suddenly realizing that beef was from a cow.  
TK had given everyone a scarf, each a different color. His was orange, Matt's green, Kouji's navy, Orion's lavender, Kari's pink, Ayumi's sky blue, and Davis' red. "Where'd you learn to knit?" Kouji asked, his eyebrows raised. TK blushed and refused to tell.  
Matt gave everyone a journal, small and leather bound. "I got them at the market, the last time we were in town," he said when Davis asked. He shrugged nonchalantly.  
Orion had given everyone a cloak, each a different color. The inside was lined with rabbit fur, to which Davis, being his naïve self, asked, "Where'd you get the fur?"  
Orion smirked and asked, "From the number of times we make rabbit stew each year. We're the ones who have to skin the rabbits, you know." Davis vowed never to ask were fur or leather came from again.  
Ayumi gave everyone a hand stitched quilt, each a different color as well, bearing the person's name and embroidered with beautiful embroidery; Davis' (red with his name stitched in gold) included Midnight, a black horse that he took care of, his favorite horse, while the one Ayumi made for herself (sky blue colored with her name in navy) had cherry blossoms and swans all over it, long with cats, her favorite animals. Kari's quilt (pink, of course, with her name in cursive in a purple color) had lavender flowers, rabbits, and, around the edges, where tiny pink flowers. Orion's quilt, lavender with her name embroidered in silver, showed jasmine, doves, and, of course, wolves, her 'all time favorite animal of all time.' Kouji's quilt displayed a long dagger, his name embroidered into the navy-colored fabric in gold thread. Tiny stars dotted the surface, and the moon in the upper right corner was outlined in silver. Matt's quit, green with his name embroidered neatly in gold, as well, with a long sword through the front, miniature orange and yellow leaves around the edges.  
"Ayumi! They're beautiful," Orion had exclaimed. "How long did it take you to make them?" Ayumi smiled sheepishly.  
"All year," she had answered.  
"I don't want to sound ungrateful," TK said, "but where did you two get the cloth for the cloaks and quilts?" Orion and Ayumi exchanged a look of mischief.  
"Remember last year when Boris just had to replace his curtains to waste more of the kingdom's treasury? Well, needless to say, we managed to salvage some," Ayumi said, laughing lightly. Orion smirked.  
"More like we grabbed all the curtains in the castle," Orion said, "According to Miss Ayumi here, the curtains couldn't go to waste; after all, the curtains are made out of better cloth than our clothes." Orion sighed.  
But, Kouji's gifts, by far, where the best; they weren't the best in the kingdom, but they were beautiful. He had given each of them a dagger, made to precision, the hilt beautiful in every way, the handle molded with a different anima.  
"Kouji, I new you could do metalwork, but these are spectacular," Kari gasped as she slid the blade out of the covering, which was molded into the bearer's name. Kouji shrugged and looked out the window.  
"We'd better go get ready to serve dinner at the festival," Orion sighed, starting on downstairs. "We've got a long, long day ahead of us. I have a bad feeling about today, I really do."  
  
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PA27: o.O Whoa......... That was long!  
  
MLM: YOU WROTE ELEVEN PAGES?!  
  
PA27: Blush Well, that's it for this chapter. OOO!! I did a little bit of foreshadowing!  
  
MLM: Is there someone stalking Ayumi?  
  
PA27: What will become of TK and Kari?  
  
MLM: Does Boris really know about their plan?  
  
PA27: What will happen at the festival?  
  
MLM: AND HOW COME I DIDN'T GET TO SAMPLE A CHOCOLATE CAKE?!  
  
PA27: --' Er......... You know what? Why don't you just write the next chapter?  
  
MLM: OKAY!!!!  
  
PA27: I have befriended an idiot.  
  
MLM: Aw, don't talk about Vincent like that.........  
  
PA27: I wasn't talking about him.........  
  
MLM: Oh......... Whatever!   
  
PA27: --' Review, readers!  
  
MLM: Yes! REVIEW, or else.........  
  
PA27: I think I need Advil or something; I've got a migraine.........  
  
MLM: Smiles innocently I wonder how that happened. 


	4. Festival Disaster!

Moonlitmonk: Well, the Excel Saga Cast quit on me, so I'm stuck with my old role playing Crew. Takako, Roku, and Hoshi are your new co-hosts.  
  
Takako: I'm her first character she ever thought of using. First MALE character as well.  
  
Roku: I'm her imaginary friend.  
  
Hoshi: I'm the youngest, and the only girl.   
  
MLM: YAY! On with the fic since I'm lazy.  
  
--  
  
"This is going to be a long night," Kari sighed, looking at the outfits Boris had left for them. They were revealing as usual, leaving their midriffs for show to whoever looked their way. The outfits consisted of long-sleeved, boat-neck, form-fitting tops that cut off neatly at the upper abdomen, each in an assorted color. Different shades of the color of the shirt had been tossed in at the hems of the neck, sleeves, and bottom of the top, giving it an organized look. The skirts cut off at the knee, the back a stylish lace-up. The skirts were also matching in color to the tops, the same color of hem used at the bottom of the skirt. The shoes were sandals, two straps going over the foot for keeping the sandal on. The sandals were all black, giving all three girls a unified look.  
"...Boris knows which colors are our favorites," Ayumi chortled quietly, shaking her head with a slight tinge of amusement thrown in. True, Boris had actually bothered to learn their favorite colors to please them, hoping for a bit of respect and maybe even love in return. Although he'd gotten the colors perfect, right down to the specified shade, the girls still held only disdain and hatred toward their cruel owner.  
"True. Baby Blue is my favorite color," Orion laughed in agreement, looking skeptically at her outfit hanging in the one closet all three girls shared. Kari deeply admired the shade of purple Boris had her outfit made out of, but... it's not like it made her think any higher of him in any way, shape, or form. When the three girls had first laid eyes on their outfits, Ayumi had nearly dropped dead at the site of her own. Hers was green, but not just any green- her FAVORITE shade of green. With a small sigh, all three girls dragged themselves into their outfits, looking forward to the end of the night.  
"Let's just get this over with!" Orion said cheerfully. Seemingly enough, that was the pick-me-up that all three of them needed as they headed into the kitchens to prepare the food for serving. After several hours of setting up and other assorted things, the courtyard was ready for the Christmas festival. Large pine trees had been set up around the perimeter, all of them decorated in festive Christmas décor.  
"Girls, we've done good!" Ayumi said, wearing her 'foxy grin', as everyone so affectionately dubbed it. At that moment, Davis came stumbling into the courtyard, breathing heavily. All three girls raised an eyebrow, staring at Davis rather skeptically. Davis smiled briefly before going into 'Talk-without-punctuation' mode.  
"Girls!! The entertainment's gotten sick, so we need someone to sing! Can one of you do it?" he explained quickly, ending with the same amount of vigor as when he had started. Orion and Kari exchanged glances, then Ayumi and Orion, before all glances turned to Davis, who just smiled and chuckled weakly. Both Kari and Orion spoke up.  
"Ayumi will be happy to do it!" Ayumi looked up, blinking, giving the two girls a 'WHAT THE HELL?' look. Both Orion and Kari smiled, a glint of evil appearing in their eyes. Ayumi rolled her eyes, looking rather annoyed with this development. "...Fine. I'll sing," she snapped, folding her arms stubbornly. Davis smirked, standing up and running to the door. But, before he stepped inside, he turned to the girls once again, staring particularly at Ayumi.  
"I'm sure Koji'll be happy to hear this development." And with that, he left, heading off to break the news to everyone. Ayumi's eyes widened, a blush deeper than the most scarlet ruby crawling onto her cheeks. Kari and Orion smirked, looking to Ayumi with a mischievous glint in their eyes.  
"Ayumi, is there something you neglected to tell us about you and Koji?" Orion asked evilly, spinning Ayumi around to face them. Ayumi blinked, shaking her head vigorously. Kari and Orion raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain.  
"O-of course not!" she replied, chuckling weakly. Orion laughed a bit, but then stopped, leaning forward so she was in Ayumi's face. Ayumi backed up a bit, blinking.  
"We all know you like Koji! Well... except for Koji, that is. He's completely oblivious," she stated, rolling her eyes. Ayumi blinked, walking towards the door Davis just walked into a few moments earlier. She turned to face Orion and Kari once more.  
"I'm going to go prepare a song, thank you very much," she snorted, slamming the door behind her. At that moment, Kari and Orion broke into a fit of laughter, doubling over from the immense pressure of their fit. Orion wiped a lone tear from her eye, finally able to stand up.  
"Oh... Man... Ayumi's so much fun to tease!" Orion giggled, breaking down into an uproar of laughter once more. Kari nodded in agreement, attempting to even her breathing out.  
"Yes, she is!" she agreed, sitting down on one of the stone benches to recollect herself.  
  
-  
  
Later that night, when the festival had started, people of importance had crowded into the courtyard, taking part in dancing, eating, and other activities related thereafter. Ayumi was unbelievably nervous about her singing debut, which was less than half-an-hour away. So far, due to her immense stage fright, she'd dropped a slice of cake, spilled some of the punch all over a nobleman, and tripped over herself more than once. But, she wasn't as near as bad as Orion. Orion had knocked over the punch bowl, spilled pie all over a nobleman, managed to get herself pelted with a slice of cake, and nearly spilled punch all over Boris himself. Kari, on the other hand, hadn't managed to get herself in any trouble, gracefully getting food from place to place.  
"You guys have to be the biggest klutzes I've ever known," Kari laughed as the three of them walked together for more food. Orion chuckled sarcastically, pretending it was funny. Ayumi just remained quiet.  
"WOW! It's amazing! Ayumi's ACTUALLY keeping her mouth shut!" Orion gasped in fake surprise. Ayumi glared at her, looking rather peeved at the moment. Orion sighed, knowing that Ayumi was really nervous about her singing tonight.  
"Don't sweat it!" Kari said cheerfully, realizing that Ayumi was singing in less than a minute. Ayumi made her way towards the stage, gulping. She walked up the stairs, standing at the front center of the stage, gulping. All the people turned to look at her, thousands of eyes staring her down.  
"U-Um... This song is called 'Every Heart' and... that's what I'll be singing," she stated nervously, taking a deep breath.  
  
Tell me babe, how many do I shed my tears?  
  
Every Heart Every Heart is not a gentle yet  
  
Shall I do? I can never say my loneliness  
  
Every Heart doesn't know so what to say oh what to do  
  
(I) was afraid of darkness 'cause I felt that I was left alone  
  
So I prayed for help to (the) distant million stars  
  
Round & Round the planets revolve round the sun  
  
And we always seek after love and peace forever more  
  
Growing, growing woe baby we can work it out Look up at the sky, every Heart is shining all today  
  
Show me now; what kind of smile do I come across?  
  
Every Heart, Every Heart can take a step towards the dreams  
  
All of us what to take a lasting happiness  
  
Whenever you feel sad, I wanna hold you & give you a sound sleep  
  
Someday Every Hearts gonna' free and easy  
  
We have peace of mind  
  
Someday all the people find the way to love  
  
Goes & Goes the time goes on we are not alone  
  
We live on together and we will find some precious things  
  
Sometime we will smile sometime we will cry somehow  
  
Don't forget believing yourself - Tomorrow's never die  
  
There is the warm heart places on my mind  
  
In my earliest day's there and it's so sweet  
  
There are many stars they have talk with me so kind  
  
They say yes always time's a friend of mine so shine  
  
Round & Round the planets revolve round the sun  
  
And we always seek after love and peace, forever more  
  
Growing, growing woe baby we can work it out  
  
Look up at the sky, every heart is shining all today  
  
Goes & Goes the time goes on we are not alone  
  
We live on together and we will find some precious things  
  
Sometime we will smile sometime we will cry somehow  
  
Don't forget believing yourself - Tomorrow's never die  
  
And with that, Ayumi left the stage, an uproarious applause echoing throughout the courtyard walls. She ran over to Orion and Kari, sighing and laughing a bit. Orion and Kari pat her on the back, amazed for some reason...  
"That was... AMAZING! Well, to say the least, anyway," Kari gasped, drawing Ayumi into a tight hug. Ayumi smiled.  
"That... Wasn't so bad!" she said, smiling. And then... it went bad. Boris just happened to walk by to congratulate Ayumi, when Orion dropped the pie she was holding. It flew a few feet before landing... directly on Boris's front. Orion, Kari, and Ayumi gasped, wincing a bit afterward.  
"...Ladies... all three of you shall receive punishment tomorrow," Boris barked, storming off to clean himself.  
--  
  
MLM: ...Yup. Lazy.  
  
Takako: Damn straight.  
  
Roku: ... -Asleep-  
  
Hoshi: -Left a while ago with Sasuke- 


	5. Preparations

PA27: HELLO ALL!  
  
MLM: Ahh! PA27 is writing yet ANOTHER chapter.........  
  
PA27: You say that it's a bad thing.  
  
MLM: Well, you're hogging the chapters.........  
  
PA27: AM NOT!  
  
MLM: Okay, then I'll write this chapter!   
  
PA27: NO! MY CHAPTER! Takes keyboard away from MLM   
  
MLM: --' Told you.  
  
PA27: Mean!  
  
MLM: Just get on with the chapter.  
  
PA27: YOU DON'T GET TO BOSS ME AROUND!  
  
MLM: Watch me. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Ages:  
  
Matt: 15 years old (The oldest)  
  
Kouji: 15 years old (The second oldest)  
  
Davis: 15years old (The third oldest)  
  
Ayumi: 14 years old (The fourth youngest/oldest)  
  
Orion: 14 years old (The third youngest)  
  
TK: 14 years old (The second youngest)  
  
Kari: 14 years old (The youngest)  
  
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"Well, on the bright side......... Er........." Orion trailed off, thinking of the events of the past day.  
"Is there aw bright side?" Ayumi asked, annoyed at the fact that they had to cook for yet ANOTHER banquet on New Year's Eve. She was stirring a large pot of stew furiously, causing a huge amount to roll down the sides and into the fire. Kari quickly snatched the stirry-thingy from her.  
"You're spilling more than you're making," Kari said, shaking her head and taking over the job. Ayumi put her hands on her hips in frustration.  
"We're better off dead," she snapped. Turning on her heel, she was out of the kitchen with a whip of her long hair. Orion and Kari exchanged a tired glance.  
"Talk about bipolar," Kari said, shrugging. Orion put a finger on her nose thoughtfully.  
"I think she's got a point," Orion sighed, going back to kneading a huge lump of dough.  
  
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"Purrmon?" Ayumi asked softly as she sat in front of her fountain. The Digimon appeared beside her in a flash, looking at her inquisitively.  
"Yes?" she asked innocently. Ayumi sighed and leaned back, feeling the cold snow on her bare hands where she sat on the stone bench.  
Choosing her words carefully, she said, "Do you think- do you think we have what it take? To get this stone, I mean." Purrmon surveyed Ayumi through her bright amber cat-like eyes. Ayumi stood up and walked toward the fountain, looking at the beautiful curves of the frozen water.  
"It doesn't matter what I think," Purrmon said finally. "What matters is if your heart is there. What matters is how much you believe in yourself. What matters is what each and every one of the seven of you chose. The seven of you, Kouji, Matt, Davis, TK, Kari, Orion, and yourself, all have the choice; you don't have to make this quest if you don't want to. Do you think you can do it?"  
Ayumi frowned. Did she think that they could do it? Truly, truly, she didn't know in the least. "I don't know. I don't want to let the world down, though. I don't want to let the others' down. I don't want to let you down."  
Purrmon smiled slightly at the answer and said, "You won't let anyone down, especially not me. I am more proud of you than I can ever say, Ayumi, for growing into what you are today. I've been watching you since the day you were born. You have already faced more than most. I know I believe in you. Is it so hard to believe in yourself?" Without waiting for an answer, Purrmon disappeared into Ayumi's body, leaving her to ponder the answer. Was it so hard to believe? Yes. Definitely.  
  
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The next few days passed in a huff, without much time for rest (unless you count oris molesting the three girls for spilling pie on him at the festival). Most of the day was used to prepare for the festival, cooking and decorating accordingly. In the mornings, they were required to clean the castle, scrub chamber pots, and make beds. In the evenings, they planned for their journey, making maps, going over plans, trying to figure out what supplies where needed.  
Time flew by all too quickly, and soon, it was the night before the festival, the night before their escape.  
"Let's go over this again," Matt said seriously, flipping through a handful of parchment. Orion groaned.  
"Matt, we get it! We've been through this ten billion times. I've got your speech memorized! 'First day we blah, blah, blah. Be sure to stay together, blah, blah.' We get it already, MATT!" Orion said. Matt shot a glowering half-angry, half-amused look at her while Ayumi and Kari giggled.  
  
"I think he's right," Kouji said. "We really should go over this again." The three girls sighed, but he ignored them. "Tomorrow, right in the middle of the banquet, we'll meet in the middle of the forest. There's a fountain there, you can't miss it. We have all of our supplies, our cloaks, our bags, food, and money from Boris' treasury. We've each got our own pack, and we're each responsible for getting it there. When all seven of us are there, we'll head out. If we're not all there at the fountain by eight o'clock, we'll head out in pairs- me and Ayumi, TK and Kari, Matt and Orion, and Davis and himself. If your partner isn't there, wait for them. If they aren't there by nine, we'll have to set out anyway. We'll meet in Japan, the Hiragazawa Mountains. We'll leave on the twentieth. If we aren't all there, the ones who are will leave. We'll meet near the shrine on the thirtieth. Remember, DON'T WAIT FOR ANYONE WHO ISN'T YOUR PARTNER, and even more important, DON'T GET SEPERATED. Any questions?"  
Davis raised his hand. "How come I'm by myself?" Ayumi let out a little snort of laughter and tried to disguise it as a cough, failing miserably at the attempt.  
"Because," Matt cut in, "we have to watch out for the girls. You can't even watch out for yourself, much less someone else. Besides, we have an odd number of people. You won't be by yourself, though- you've got Veemon, remember?" Davis mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Moron." Matt ignored him.  
"We really should go to bed," TK said. "We've got to get up early tomorrow." There was a mumble of general agreement before TK poured a bucket of water on the fire, and they all headed up the ladder to bed.  
  
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"CRAP!" Orion yelled as she jumped out of bed the next morning. "Wake up, guys, we're late. We're supposed to be in the dining hall with the other servants!" She frowned at the still-sleeping figure on the six other beds. Smiling mischievously, she grabbed the huge leather-bound book under her bed titled The Life Cycle of a Deer Tick that she had borrowed for some "light" reading. She heaved the thirty-pound book up and dropped it over the edge of the loft. It feel with a huge crack onto the stable floor below. Even Orion herself was surprised at the huge noise, but the result was great; all six of her friends had jumped or sat up in bed (or, in Davis' case, he fell out of bed).  
"Good morning!" Orion said cheerily. Then, less cheerily, "We're late. Get up or Boris'll slaughter us." With that everyone started to bustle about, running into each other at the fact that they were at least two hours late.  
Finally, after a whole bunch of yelling, running, and threatening, the seven of them bustled into the entrance hall. They froze at the sight of the rest of the servants in a straight line, all looking ahead, much a like a line of Marines or people in boot camp. Boris was inspecting them and looked up as they entered.  
"How nice of you to join us," he said in a horribly oily voice. "If you don't, I would like to know what took you so long to get here. Did the snow monster get you? Or did something Miss Orion was cooking catch the stable on fire- again?" Orion turned bright red and looked at the ground, which only heightened the dislike the seven teens had fore Boris because all of them, at some point, had criticized Orion's-er, interesting cooking ideas (peanut butter soup, for instance).  
Davis, who complained about Orion's cooking at least six times a week, said, "We over-slept." Boris cracked an oily smile.  
"They you wouldn't mind getting up a the stroke of three tomorrow morning to clean the dining room- all by yourselves. Now, GET IN LINE!" he barked. They hurried into the line, all swearing at Boris under their breaths. "Now," Boris continued, "I would like to have this festival be more successful than the last. I don't want any more stunts pulled- or else........." He stopped in front of Ayumi and crushed his lips onto hers. She squealed in distaste and he flung her back, right into Kouji, who caught her. Kouji helped her up, glaring daggers at Boris.  
"You okay?" Kari asked her friend worriedly under her breath. Ayumi nodded. She was shaking from head to foot; she knew she should've been used to it by now, but somehow, she wasn't.  
"Like I was saying, don't mess this up, or you'll pay. Now, GET TO WORK!" Boris barked before turning and disappearing from the dining hall up the marble staircase. The moment he left, there was a flurry of movement; the servants, inspired by Boris' assault on Ayumi, burst into act, hanging decorations and setting plate at the table. Orion, Kari, Kouji, Matt, TK, and Davis all rushed around Ayumi.  
"Hey, are you okay?" Orion asked softly, patting her sister's back softly. Ayumi nodded, not looking at anyone.  
"Hey, we'd better get to work and get the food in here before Boris decides to make us scrub the staircase or something," Ayumi said, cheerfully as possibly. Not wanting to pursue the subject any further, she hurried back to the stables to get the food they had prepared, the six other teens in her wake.  
  
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PA27: I know this is short but I must go. Bye-bye! 


End file.
